[EN] Have you come across this road sign on a highway? Here’s what’s about to happen

You are driving on a highway and, suddenly, the cars on your right begin to move to the left while others make just the opposite movement to reach an exit. It is only a few meters, but they require much more attention than usual. And there is a specific traffic sign to warn that you are approaching one of these points.

It is the P-35, known as the lane braiding sign. Its design is quite descriptive once you know what it represents: two vehicles appear and several arrows cross their routes. That is precisely what can happen on the road.

A braided section occurs between a confluence and a fork, when different vehicle trajectories may cross. In other words, drivers who need to change lanes in different directions coincide over a given distance.

The situation is easily understood with an example. A vehicle has just joined a highway and wants to move into the left lanes. At the same time, another that was already driving on it needs to move to the right to take an upcoming exit. Their routes end up crossing and both must coordinate their maneuvers with the rest of the traffic.

WHY YOU NEED TO PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION

The problem is not only in changing lanes, but also in the fact that several drivers may try to do so practically at the same time. An unexpected manoeuvre, insufficient distance or not checking blind spots correctly can generate a risky situation.

Therefore, when the P-35 appears, it is advisable to anticipate what will happen a few metres later. Keeping an appropriate distance, keeping an eye on the mirrors, signalling any movement and avoiding sudden manoeuvres makes it easier for the different vehicles to reorganise safely.

And there is an important detail to correctly interpret its drawing: the arrows do not indicate the directions that the driver must follow. What they represent are the different trajectories that can cross in the section that appears below.

The next time those two cars and their arrows appear on the red triangle, therefore, the warning will be clear: an area is approaching where several vehicles may need to swap positions between lanes.